Oil fractionating



Feb. 28, 1933. c. F. DENNl-:Y

OIL FRACTIONATING Filed July 5, 1930 ATTORNEY INVENTOR CMM. BY

Patented Feb. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES COURTLANDT F. DENNEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO FOSTER WHEELER COR- ZPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N.

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK OIL FRAGTIONATING Application led July 3,

My invention relates to fractionation of oil and more particularly to vacuumy fractionating towers.

Among the'objects of the invention are to provide separate means for condensing oil products by conining certain operations to small bodies of liquid and cooling the liquid upon withdrawal from the tower before being collected in run-down tanks; to produce a system in which there is a reduction of the time when hot oil of high specic gravity is under high temperature in order to avoid cracking and decomposition; and to provide unrestricted gravity iow from a fractionating tower to vacuum run-down tanks.

ln condensing an oil vapor with steam, separation of the two products is comparatively simple provided there is a relatively large difference between the specic gravity of the condensed oil and the water formed by condensing the steam. If, however, a relatively heavy oil vapor and the steam are condensed together and the specific gravity of the oil approaches the specic gravity of water, separation cannot be readily accomplished and there is a likelihood of forming an emuision between the loil and water, which is undesirable.

It the reiux pumped back into the tower contains any appreciable amount of water, the operation of the tower will be subject to undesirable variations both in temperature and in pressure. It therefore is a purpose of my invention to cool the over-head product to a point where all of the oii vapor or substantially all of the oil vapor is condensed and at a temperature sufiiciently high to leave 1930. seriai No. 465,546.

the steam wholly or substantially wholly in the vapor state, thereby readily eiecting lmaximum separation of the oil and steam before pumping part of the condensed oil vapor yback into the fractionating column for the purpose of internal condensation while at the some time providing a, commercially water free oil product.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

The manner in which I attain these objects will become apparent from a consideration of a-system embodying the invention as disclosed in the accompanying drawing.

Referring tothe drawing:

Reference character 1() designates a tube still or heater which may be bridge wall type or which may be of any of various types. In the heater, oil admitted through conduit 11 is heated and in part vaporizes. The heated product of this heating step consists of vapor and liquid oil, which passes through conduit 12 and into a fractionating towerv 13.

Steam is supplied to a steam heating coil 9 within the heater setting by means of conduit 14 and superheated steam passes through conduit 15 into the tower at various points.

The tower comprises the usual bubble trays 16 having bubble caps through which vapor passes upwardly, tending into liquid held on the trays. or more stripping being shown at 17 and 18. The stripping sections are provided between central passage- One of the usual the caps having edges exsections are provided, two v way members 19 and the outer shelll of the V stripping section 18 and serves to con-duct liquid oil therefrom as a side stream. Steam is supplied through con-duit 15 and branch conduits 15a and 15b to the stripping sections 17 and 18 respectively. l

The side streams are not-necessarily all removed from stripping section pocketsas 17 and 18, but may be withdrawn, for example, from a pocket such as 22 associated with a bubble tray. A side stream conduit 23 serves to conduct a side stream from the pocket 22.

Conduit 24 is connected to the top of the tower and conducts a mixture of oil vapor and steam from the top of the tower of the condenser 25. Condenser 25 `is a surface condenser having separated spaces through one of which the vapor flows which is derived from the tower, and through the other of which cooling waterv flows. The cooling means containing-cooling water is indicated at 26. Al well 27 is associated with the lower part of condenser 25. Connected tothe side ofA well 27 is a vapor conduit 28 which conducts steam from well 27 to a'barometric' -c'o'ildenser 29. At a lower .point in well 27;, and

preferably the lowest point thereof, a conduit 30 is connected which is a .liquid conduit and conveysoil condensed in cqn'denseri25 gravity to a vacuum run-down tank 31. bale 32 is provided to prevent oil from'being carried along with the steam into conduit 28. i

A number of baiiies may be used in this connection, affording a tortuous path for, the steam in its exit from the condenser 25 and well 27. Connected to the bottom of vacuum run-down tank 31 is a reflux conduit 33. A reiux pump 34 is interposed in conduit 33 and serves to pump liquid oil through con# duit 33 back into the top of the tower to flow downwardly over the trays therein and provide a cooling medium for vrcausing condensation within the tower. A steam jet vacuum ump 35, of known design, is connected to arometric condenser 29 to withdraw noncondensible vapors therefrom and maintain 0r assist in maintaining the vacuum.

Vacuum'run-down tanks` 36, 37 and 38 are connected to conduits-23, 20 and 21 respectively. Interposed 4in conduits 23, 20 and 21 'are coolers 39, 40 and 41 respectively, suitably cooled by cooling pipes adapted for-flow of cooling water or oil and designated by reference characters 42, 43 and1 44 respectively. Suitable means, such as hand valves, are pro- I vided for controlling the ow of water through any 0f the cooling members 26, 42, 43 and 44. Liquid loops 46, 47 and 48 are provided in conduits 23, 20 and 21 respectively which serve to permit pressure variations and insure the presencel of liquid.. The height of these loops is determined by operating conditions.

A balance conduit or balance line 49 is connected to conduit 28 and by branch conduits 49a, 495, 490 and 49d with the upper parts of vacuum run-down tanks 31, 3.6, 37 and 38-` respectively. This produces a direct gas communication to each of the vacuum run-'down tanks and acts as a pressure equalizing conduit whereby variations in pressure are transmitted in proportion to the various parts of the system.

From the bottom of each vacuum run-down tank oil is conducted through' a pipe 52 and pump 53 to storage or other point. `In the lower part of the tower 13 is provided a restricted section 54 containing bubble trays.

Steam is introduced into this section through .ddwln-lowing. liquid takes place inside the tower and thefoilfcollected in the tower passes through the sidei stream conduits and to the yvacuum run-downd tanks without being held at high tempera ure -for any appreciable length of time before cooling. For dividing the oil stream in tlifetower weir elements may be used as disclosed in the application Serial No. 106,866 of Pnilmiose and Swanson Patent No. 1,893,906 granted January 10, 1933, and as indicated at 60.0r`by-passes may be used as indicated at 61. l

In operation, water is supplied 'to the barometric condenser as a 58. The water is in direct contact inthe arometric condenser with the steam passing through conduit 28 and condenses the steam. Steam is supplied to the steam jet vacuum pump 35 and this steam jet vacuum pump egrhausts non-condensible vapors (and, of course, some steam) from the barometric condenser. The condensation in the condenser and the removal of gas by the vacuum pump serves to maintaina high vacuum, for example, 26 to 28 inches. This vacuum-is communicated back through conduit 28l and through the surface condenser 25 to the fractionating tower and through transfer line 12 to the outlet of heater 10. It will be seen that a path of flow for gaseous products from the top of the tower is provided by way of conduits 24 and 28 and condensers 25 and 29, which path hasa decreasing pressure gradient from the inlet end at the tower to the terminal end at the jet pump 35. As above stated', a mixture of is. condsensed and collects in the well 27 pass-r ingthere'from through conduit 30 to vacuum run-down tank 31. At the temperature of 150o F. and the low absolute pressure prevailing (it being understood that the figures are lused by' way of example only), the steam is still in a vaporous state and passes into the barometric condenser 29. With this method ofl operation, the condensing surface of the surface condenser 25 1s reduced to a mlnimum neaaoea and the pressure drop through the barometric condenser 1s also reduced to a minimum,

.thereby causing a higher vacuum at the top v condensing the steam, itis 'desirable that as is responsive little oil as possible pass to the barometric condenser, wherefore the baille or bafiies 32 are used to hinder oil vapor from passing along with the steam. Also in order not to have oil pass tothe barometric condenser, the process should use an oil having a minimum boiling point so high that it will all condense in the condenser 25.

Considering the system as a whole, it will be noted that every part of the equipment is responsive to pressure fluctuations pf the vacuum producing apparatus. The system with equalized effect to both variations'in the cooling of the barometric condenser and the steam supplied tothe'steam jet vacuum pump 35. The vacuum is transmitted in parallel throu h conduits 24 and 28 on the one hand and t -rough the .transfer line i9 on the other hand. This gives an improved operation at the point of Hash in the tower where the oil from' the heater is l0/oil vapor at the point of entry of the oil-` supplied thereto. The changes in pressure affect every part of the equipment and may be readily compensated for by varying the quantity of steam introduced into the tower to obtain a constant partial .pressure of the into the tower, regardless of variations in the condensing eect. This balance of pressure permits smooth operation with minimum iuctuations in the quality of the iinal prod- 'fractionating tower, a plurality o stripping sections in said tower means to supply steam to said tower, a sur ace condenser, a barometric condenser, vacuum producing means, a low pressure vacuum run-down tank, a conduit connected at a low point to said surface condenser and to said tank for ilowing oil from the surface condenser to the tank, a conduit connected to said'surface condenser at a'higher level and to said barometrio con'.n

denser for conducting steam from said surface condenser to said barometric condenser, a plurality of side stream run-down tanks, side stream conduits connecting the tower with the side stream run-down tanks, and a balance line connectingA the upper parts of the run-down tanks with the barometric condenser. I

2. Fractionating apparatus comprising a ractionating tower, means for introducmg oil and steam to the tower, means providing a path of flow for oil vapor and steam from the top of the tower, vacuum producing means including a condenser for drawing vapors through said path of How, a surface condenser interposed in said path of How between the tower and said first mentioned condenser, said rst mentioned condenser being adapted to condense steam drawn 'from the tower and the surface condenser being adapted to condense only the oil vapor passing` therethrough, conduits for conducting liquid side streams from the tower, run-down tanks for collecting said sidev streams into separate liquidbodies outside the tower, and conduits for connecting the upper portions of each of said run-down tanks with said path of How at a point intermediate said condensers.

In testimony whereof have affixed my signature.

COURTLANDT r. nnn'nnr.

ucts. This compensation lmay be accomplished by controlling a hand valve in the ranch pipe 15e supplying steam to the base oi the tower., To illustrate, assume that in the summer time the temperature of the cool ing water is 90 F, .whereas in the winter time it. is 60 F, Due to the relation between tem- Y perature and pressure of water vapor, the

maximum vacuum obtainable in the summer time will 'be less than in the winter. time. Consequently more steam is introduced in the summer time so that, in accordance with Daltons law of partial pressures,y the efective pressure, that is, the partial pressure, of the oil at the point of oil entry into the tower is lower relative to the total or indicated pressure and so that the eiective pressure 'for condensation purposes is equalized inde endently of the seasong at l claim is:

l., Fraction'ating apparatus comprising a iso 

